ORLANDO, Fla. – With nearly 11 years in the UFC, Jeremy Stephens is the absolute definition of an octagon veteran. And the featherweight slugger believes that experience has all built to this moment, when he’s finally ready to come into his own.

“It’s like a recipe,” Stephens told reporters at Wednesday’s open workout session in Florida. “You throw in the ingredients, you cook it up, and it’s starting to get hot, but it’s just a little too soon. You taste it, it may be a...